New York fires more than 2,000 corrections officers as prison strike ends

• New York fired more than 2,000 prison guards for refusing to return to work after an illegal strike. The strike ended on March 10 after the state agreed with the guards’ union.
• The strike broke a state law that prohibits strikes by most public employees. Plus, the union did not approve it.
• The new agreement includes overtime pay and suspends parts of the HALT Act for 90 days.

Full Story

New York officials fired more than 2,000 prison guards for refusing to return to work Monday, March 10, following a weeks-long strike that disrupted operations across the state. Despite the mass termination, enough officers returned to declare the unauthorized work stoppage over.

“After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it has now ended,” Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said in a video update Monday.

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Guards upset over working conditions began walking off the job at many state prisons on Feb. 17, forcing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to send National Guard troops to keep operations running. 

Inmates complained about deteriorating conditions behind bars since the walkout. A special prosecutor also opened an investigation into the death of a 22-year-old man on March 3 at a prison near Utica.

The walkout violated a state law barring strikes by most public employees. The union did not approve the demonstration either.

What’s included in the agreement?

The state and the guards’ union struck a new deal to end the strike over the weekend, but it was contingent on at least 85% of staff returning to work on Monday morning. 

Even though the number fell short of the goal, the state decided to move forward with the agreement’s overtime pay provisions and several other measures.

The agreement suspends elements of the HALT Act, a provision of a state law that limits the use of solitary confinement, for 90 days.

At the 30-day mark, the Department of Corrections will conduct a review at each facility, assessing staffing levels and safety conditions to decide whether to reinstate the program. 

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What happens next?

Guards will continue to work 12-hour shifts until pre-strike staffing levels are restored.

The shift structure was a main concern for officers with many working extended overtime due to staffing shortages.

The National Guard will remain at prisons to support officers while the department launches a recruitment campaign to fill vacant positions.